Some campus groups at Carleton anticipate that international tuition fees may increase due to the Ontario government’s decision to cut domestic tuition fees by 10 per cent.
The domestic tuition fee cut will account for $20 million annually for Carleton, or about four per cent of the overall budget, according to Carleton president Benoit-Antoine Bacon’s blog on Carleton’s website.
When asked whether international tuition fees will see an increase due to the cut, Bacon said it is normal for costs subject to inflation to increase.
“It’s too early to say exactly what we’re going to do in terms of fees, but my view is always with any system that’s subject to inflation,” he said. “It’s normal that the costs of things augment from time to time.’
Trina James, national treasurer of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), said there was province-wide uncertainty with schools over how to cover the funds that will be lost through the cut.
“When the announcement first came out, a lot of administration at universities and colleges didn’t know how they were going to find the difference to cover the funding,” she said.
James also said from the perspective of many schools, rather than having to cut “existing services on campus, it would make sense to just increase your revenue, which in this situation is international students.”
Jade Byard Peek, national deputy chairperson of the CFS, said the Ontario government’s Student Choice Initiative, which allows students to have the ability to opt out of supplementary charges, will also impact international tuition fees.
“The situation lies in which a university can no longer move to auxiliary fees to up the cost,” said Peek. “The most logical thing they can turn to, in the eyes of an administration, is international students.”
Peek also added that international fees are especially vulnerable due to the fact that they are not regulated by any kind of tuition cap.
International tuition fees at Carleton increased by 6.3 per cent in the 2018-19 school year.
According to Carleton’s undergraduate admissions website, tuition fees for domestic students range from $7,847-$12,887, while international students pay anywhere between $26,490-$34,221. Combined tuition and living expenses for foreign students can reach more than $50,000 per year of study.
Dylan Welch, a first-year history and theory of architecture student from Dubai, said the many additional expenses for those studying from abroad are something that policymakers should be keeping in mind.
“The largest contributor to expenses would be the flights, which, of course, are not inherently necessary, but most international students, myself included, visit home throughout the year which is very costly,” Welch said. “I believe the government should consider these expenses, as it is healthy for a student to be able to afford to return home and see their families.”
Saad Khan, a first-year communications student from India, said universities should be welcoming to international students, rather than adding more barriers with higher tuition.
“Most international students decide to stay in Canada after graduation due to increased opportunities and quality [of life] compared to their countries of origin,” Khan said. “International students are a great asset, and the university and government must take them into account as a potential human capital for Canada’s future.”
David Oladejo, president of the Carleton University Students’ Association, also said potential increases to international student fees would be unfair.
“It’s quite unfair, not only about the [lack of] information, but just being tasked with the high fees that they pay,” Oladejo said.
Oladejo also advocated for enticing international students to want to study in Canada.
“It gives students who are from Canada a chance to be able to engage and understand in the beauty that is essentially university. I think having everyone come together, it promotes more learning,” he said. “If we were all the same, university would be a boring place, but it’s exciting because we have people from all over the world in all different programs, all different experiences, all walks of life.”
Photo by Temur Durrani
